Boiled watchdogs? The declining professional autonomy of precarious millennial generation journalists

Abstract

Professional autonomy, the latitude practitioners have in carrying out their occupational duties, is essential to journalism. This study, which examines how precariously employed journalists of the millennial generation in Slovenia perceive their professional roles, how professional autonomy plays out in practice, and how they advocate for better working conditions over time, draws on in-depth interviews conducted in 2017 and 2021. The findings reveal that journalists initially viewed their role as context-specific watchdogs helping the weak. However, journalists faced challenges to their autonomy that limited their ability to translate this role into practice. Most journalists did not consider it worthwhile to unite collectively to improve working conditions, leading to a gradual deterioration of professional autonomy. We propose the term ‘boiled watchdogs’ likening their situation to a frog slowly boiling over time. This article contributes to the international literature on precarity and professionalism in journalism in a post-socialist context.